Dragan's Birding Travel Tips
LightNews LightNews
banner
albicilla66.bsky.social
Dragan's Birding Travel Tips
@albicilla66.bsky.social
250 followers 200 following 450 posts
ecotourism consultant, destination maker, experience curator, birder, guide, wildlife-travel writer and the @WildlifeMag award winning blogger www.10000birds.com/author/dragan, ambassador for @SwarovskiOptik
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
albicilla66.bsky.social
Dragan's Birding Travel Tips @albicilla66.bsky.social · 21d
Who are 10,000 Birds Writers and why do they contribute to the site without pay? We thought they deserved a proper introduction, so we started this series to find out: Dragan Simic — Playback is the murder of the impossible
▶️ www.10000birds.com/interviews-w...

#Belgrade #birding #birdsuniteourworld
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding #Panama: the #CanopyCamp in #Darien lowland rainforest, safari-style tents with wooden floors, beds, fans &private bathrooms: 250sp/5days: Harpy, & Crested Eagle, White-eared Conebill, Red-billed Scythebill, Royal Flycatcher, Pied Puffbird; five-hour-drive from Panama City; Sep to early Nov
November 18, 2025 at 9:54 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding the remnant oak forests in the Sava River floodplain, near #Belgrade: Sparrowhawk, Red & Black Kites, WT Eagle, Syrian, Green & MS Woods, Marsh Tit, Goldcrest, Firecrest, ST Treecreeper, Stonechat, Brambling

🌳 #JakovackiKljuc (1) 🌳 #ObedskaBara (2, 3)
🌳 #birdsuniteourworld 🌳 #seetheunseen
November 17, 2025 at 8:44 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Likely the best place in the 🌏 to observe the #Leopard (other than Sri Lanka) is the #BeraSafariLodge among granite hills & scrub forests between Udaipur & Jodhpur, #Rajasthan, #India. 200 bird sp. incl. Sarus Crane, Rock Eagle-Owl, Bar-Headed Goose, 🦩🦩; 3hrs by road from Udaipur ✈️; late May to June
November 16, 2025 at 6:36 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding the saline desert of #LittleRann which floods every monsoon, #Dasada, #Gujarat, #India: 250sp 🦩🦩🦩, MacQueen’s Bustard, Indian Courser, Long-legged Buzzard, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Sykes’s Nightjar, Pallid Scops Owl, Variable Wheatear; #RannRiders Lodge, 2.5hrs by road from Ahmedabad ✈️; Dec-Feb
November 15, 2025 at 2:13 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding dry deciduous forest of #GirNationalPark #India 350sp 3days/100sp: Mottled Wood Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Jungle Nightjar, Painted Sandgrouse, Indian Pitta, Red-naped Ibis, Red-headed Vulture, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Barred Buttonquail, Lion; #GirBirdingLodge, 4hrs by road from Rajkot ✈️; Dec-Mar
November 14, 2025 at 3:22 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding #BlackbuckNationalPark grasslands, #Velavadar, #Gujarat, #India 300sp: Lesser Florican, Stoliczka's Bushchat, Pallid & Montagu’s Harriers, Bimaculated & Greater Short-toed Larks, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Painted Francolin, Indian Wolf; #BlackbuckLodge, 2hrs by road from Bhavnagar ✈️; Nov-Mar
November 13, 2025 at 1:45 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding tropical moist and dry deciduous forests of #Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, #India, 330sp: endemic Malabar Trogon, M. Grey Hornbill, M. Parakeet, White-bellied Woodpecker, Indian Pitta, the largest population of Asian Elephants; 📷 #KAAVSafariLodge @ #Kabini, 5hrs drive from #Bangalore ✈️; Oct-Mar
November 12, 2025 at 11:24 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Birding #SadiriLodge, 550sp, in the foothill rainforest @ 900m asl, inside the #Madidi NP (1250sp) in the #Amazonia #Bolivia, 2hrs drive from #Rurrenabaque: Military & Red-Bellied Macaws, Yungas & Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulets, Sharpbill; Sep-Nov when many sp breed
▶️ www.10000birds.com/birding-lodg...
November 9, 2025 at 1:26 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Having more large carnivores — #brownbears, wolves and lynx — than anywhere else in Europe, the #Fagaras Mountains of #Romania are a #rewilding site that should become the continent’s largest forest national park: www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic...

#Carpathians 🌲 #bearwatching 🐻 #birding 🦉
Bears, wolves and rewilding in Romania's Southern Carpathian mountains
The old ways still linger in Romania’s Southern Carpathian mountains, where bears and wolves wander the forests and slow-paced villages stud the hills.
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:52 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
With thriving #BrownBears, Wolf and Lynx, 100+ Bison & growing Beaver population, the #Carpathians offer all 10 of Europe's woodpeckers & montane specialities, such as Pygmy Owl, Hazel Grouse & Sombre Tit
www.birdguides.com/articles/vul...

🐻🌳 #Transfagarasan 🌲🐻 #bearwatching 🐻🌳 #birding 🌲🐻 #Romania
Vulture reintroductions set to 'complete' Romania's wilderness
With thriving populations of other birds and large mammals, the reintroduction of three species of vulture to Romania's mountains is set to restore the country's lost biodiversity even further. David ...
www.birdguides.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:23 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Beech and conifer forests &the alpine zone #birding in the Romanian #Carpathians: Hazel Grouse, Ural & Boreal Owls, White-backed &Three-toed Woods, Willow &Crested Tits, Crossbill, Nutcracker, Rock Thrush, Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper; May-Jun

#ValeaCuPesti Hotel 🌳 #Transfagarasan 🐻 #bearwatching 🌲
November 5, 2025 at 7:24 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Transfagarasan — Jeremy Clarkson’s "best road in the world," traverses the Romanian #Carpathians, where many #BrownBears come to the road, especially by the #Vidraru Lake. However habituated, they are still very wild & outright dangerous!

📷 #ValeaCuPesti Hotel 🌳🐻🌳 #bearwatching 🌲🐻🌳 #birding 🌲🐻🌲
November 4, 2025 at 8:16 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
There are still around 20,400 #BrownBears left in Europe, but isolation means danger. Only 10 fragmented populations remain, some with fewer than 100 bears. Hunting, roads & habitat loss are breaking their territories apart

#bearwatching 🌳🌲🐻🌳 #birding 🌳🐻🌲🐻🌳 #Transfagarasan 🐻🌳 #Romania
November 3, 2025 at 7:57 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
In the most of Europe, #BrownBears are mythical creatures living only in mediaeval tapestries and folk tales. It has become extinct, one may say, but such formulation hides the gruesome fact: it has been exterminated. By us.
▶️ www.10000birds.com/theres-a-bea...

#Greece 🐻 #birding 🌲🐻🌳 #bearwatching
There’s a bear! There’s a bear!
In the most of Europe, Brown Bear is a mythical creature that lives only in mediaeval tapestries and folk tales. It has become extinct, one may say, but such formulation hides the gruesome fact: it…
www.10000birds.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:30 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
And the sensation of discomfort somehow vanishes. I am on a mission to finally see my first #BrownBear and everything else becomes secondary. We are in the #TaraNationalPark in western #Serbia, ranging from 1,000-1,500 m above sea level
▶️ 10000birds.com/birding-the-...

#birding 🌳🌲🐻🌳 #bearwatching
Birding the Bear Mountain of Serbia
A narrow forest road takes us to the chain blocking the entrance, with a sign “Area closed – bear danger”. Ranko Milanovic, Tara National Park ranger, leaves the car to open the passage.
10000birds.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:04 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
The most detailed collection of site descriptions of major #birding areas near #Belgrade (x) – some of my 10,000 Birds blog posts from the last 10 years
▶️ www.10000birds.com/emerging-bir...
Should I turn them into a guidebook?

🌳 #ObedskaBara 1, #Beljarica 2, #DeliblatoSands 3
🌳 #birdsuniteourworld
October 29, 2025 at 10:24 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Who are 10,000 Birds Writers and why do they contribute to the site without pay? We thought they deserved a proper introduction, so we started this series to find out: Dragan Simic — Playback is the murder of the impossible
▶️ www.10000birds.com/interviews-w...

#Belgrade #birding #birdsuniteourworld
October 28, 2025 at 12:04 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
After never colder beginning of the month – literally, since the 19th century when measurements started to be recorded, early October was never so cold – weather finally became more pleasant. Off we went #birding #Beljarica Backwaters ( #Belgrade) and...
▶️ www.10000birds.com/october-2025...
October 2025 Global Big Day - 10,000 Birds Edition
A couple months ago I had the questionable idea of not only spending all day birding, but coercing my colleagues here at 10,000 Birds to “join in the fun” for the next Global Big Day. I had…
www.10000birds.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:07 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Steppic habitats, scrub & mixed forest in the largest inland dune system of Europe, about an hour’ drive east of #Belgrade, or late October #birding the #DeliblatoSands Reserve: Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, Wren, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Black Redstart, Hawfinch, Linnet, Siskin🌳🌲
October 26, 2025 at 7:20 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
And finally, #birding pays off, the first #interview with me just came out:
www.10000birds.com/interviews-w...
Interviews with 10,000 Birds Writers: Dragan Simic, Serbia
Some readers—possibly relatives of our writers—suggested starting a series of interviews with them. Who are these writers, and why do they contribute to the site without pay and with no real benefits…
www.10000birds.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:38 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
#Belgrade holds an important #PygmyCormorant winter roost, numbering around 4,000 birds, representing 2 % of the global, and over 5 % of their European population. In the last few hours of daylight, they are commuting along the Danube to their undisclosed roost.

📷Z. Nikodijevic #birding
October 21, 2025 at 7:35 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Mid-October #birding the #Danube Backwaters' seasonally inundated riparian forests of willow and poplar, yet not in this season: bone-dry at the moment! White-tailed Eagle, Great Grey Shrike, Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin, Black Redstart, Dunnock, Hawfinch — #ForlandLeveObaleDunava Reserve🌳 #Belgrade
October 20, 2025 at 7:45 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Mid-October #birding traditional rural farming landscape by the #Paljuvi Reservoir, with old trees, shrubs, hedges, heterogeneous arable land and orchards, 1hr SW from #Belgrade: Little Owl, Green, & MS Wood, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wren, Black Redstart, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Serin, Reed Bunting
October 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Looking for a new winter #birding destination? #Belgrade is the one! Smew, Hen Harrier, Red, & Black Kite, White-tailed 🦅, LE Owl, Middle Spotted, & Black Wood; Peregrine, GG Shrike, Crested Lark, Meadow, & Water Pipit, Corn Bunting🌳 Enjoyable full-day & half-day private bird drives
▶️ surl.li/lhmboq
October 16, 2025 at 5:26 AM
albicilla66.bsky.social
Mid-October #birding the seasonally inundated forests of English oak, ash, and elm @ #ObedskaBara NR in the #SavaRiver floodplain, 50 min west of #Belgrade: Middle Spotted & Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Marsh Tit, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren
October 15, 2025 at 11:18 AM